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Featured Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

18

Time Required

                          15 minutes

Sections

7

  • Back Cover
  • 3 steps
  • Battery
  • 2 steps
  • Plastic Midframe
  • 1 step
  • Speaker
  • 2 steps
  • Audio Jack
  • 3 steps
  • Camera
  • 2 steps
  • Motherboard
  • 5 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Back Cover
  • Power off the phone, by long-pressing the power button and touching Power off.
  • Remove the SIM tray using the SIM Card Eject Tool.
  • This step is required in order to remove the back case.

Power off the phone, by long-pressing the power button and touching Power off.

Remove the SIM tray using the SIM Card Eject Tool.

This step is required in order to remove the back case.

1024

Step 2

  • Remove the two screws from the bottom of the phone with a T5 Torx Screwdriver.

Remove the two screws from the bottom of the phone with a T5 Torx Screwdriver.

Step 3

  • Gently open the back case by prying along the edge of the cover, starting at a corner of the phone and circling around the phone using a plastic opening tool.
  • The opening process may take a few minutes. The plastic will make a light snapping noise as the back cover separates from the rest of the phone.

Gently open the back case by prying along the edge of the cover, starting at a corner of the phone and circling around the phone using a plastic opening tool.

The opening process may take a few minutes. The plastic will make a light snapping noise as the back cover separates from the rest of the phone.

Step 4

              Battery
  • Remove the two 1.8 mm Phillips screws holding down the battery connector.
  • Using a plastic opening tool, disconnect the battery cable from its socket on the motherboard.

Remove the two 1.8 mm Phillips screws holding down the battery connector.

Using a plastic opening tool, disconnect the battery cable from its socket on the motherboard.

Step 5

              Battery removal
  • Remove the blue tape that secures the white antenna cable to the battery.
  • Using a spudger, carefully disconnect the white antenna cable.
  • Carefully pry the battery out with a Plastic Opening Tool, starting at the top left-hand corner and working down towards the bottom right-hand corner.
  • If necessary, you can also use a plastic card to separate the battery from the metal midframe.
  • The battery is securely glued to the phone. When reinstalling the battery, press the battery firmly against the adhesive strip.

Remove the blue tape that secures the white antenna cable to the battery.

Using a spudger, carefully disconnect the white antenna cable.

Carefully pry the battery out with a Plastic Opening Tool, starting at the top left-hand corner and working down towards the bottom right-hand corner.

If necessary, you can also use a plastic card to separate the battery from the metal midframe.

The battery is securely glued to the phone. When reinstalling the battery, press the battery firmly against the adhesive strip.

Step 6

              Plastic Midframe
  • Remove the nine 4.6 mm Phillips #000 screws. Gently lift out the plastic cover.
  • The midframe is held in with two clips, one at either side. Use a plastic spudger to release each side and gently lift up and away.

Remove the nine 4.6 mm Phillips #000 screws. Gently lift out the plastic cover.

The midframe is held in with two clips, one at either side. Use a plastic spudger to release each side and gently lift up and away.

Step 7

              Speaker
  • Remove the two 4.8 mm screws that hold the speaker enclosure together using the Phillips 00 screwdriver.

Remove the two 4.8 mm screws that hold the speaker enclosure together using the Phillips 00 screwdriver.

Step 8

  • Gently pry the speaker up and away from the back of the phone using a plastic opening tool, and lift it out of the phone.

Gently pry the speaker up and away from the back of the phone using a plastic opening tool, and lift it out of the phone.

Step 9

              Audio Jack
  • Using a spudger, pop off the gray connector on the top right of the motherboard.

Using a spudger, pop off the gray connector on the top right of the motherboard.

Step 10

  • Gently lift the audio jack upwards and to the left to remove it from the motherboard.

Gently lift the audio jack upwards and to the left to remove it from the motherboard.

Step 11

  • The audio port will likely lift out together with the ambient light sensor rubber cap.
  • Remove the cap from the old part and move it to the new one. Ensure the cap stays in place when installing the new audio port into the phone.

The audio port will likely lift out together with the ambient light sensor rubber cap.

Remove the cap from the old part and move it to the new one. Ensure the cap stays in place when installing the new audio port into the phone.

Step 12

              Camera
  • Gently pry the metal tab up using a spudger, and lift up the disconnected black flap.

Gently pry the metal tab up using a spudger, and lift up the disconnected black flap.

Step 13

  • With a spudger, carefully pry up the black tab connecting the camera to the motherboard.
  • Lift up the camera from the socket.

With a spudger, carefully pry up the black tab connecting the camera to the motherboard.

Lift up the camera from the socket.

Step 14

              Motherboard
  • Remove the Sim Card and the Sim Card metal tray.

Remove the Sim Card and the Sim Card metal tray.

Step 15

  • Remove the white antenna interconnect cable that attaches the motherboard to the bottom right-hand corner of phone by pulling on it gently.

Remove the white antenna interconnect cable that attaches the motherboard to the bottom right-hand corner of phone by pulling on it gently.

Step 16

  • Remove the tab located in the bottom right-hand corner of the motherboard attaching the motherboard to the front display assembly using a spudger.

Remove the tab located in the bottom right-hand corner of the motherboard attaching the motherboard to the front display assembly using a spudger.

Step 17

  • Remove the last tab connecting the motherboard to the front display assembly located in the upper right-hand corner of the motherboard using a spudger.
  • Once this tab is removed, the flap will be free and will spring away from the motherboard.

Remove the last tab connecting the motherboard to the front display assembly located in the upper right-hand corner of the motherboard using a spudger.

Once this tab is removed, the flap will be free and will spring away from the motherboard.

Step 18

  • Using a spudger, gently lift up the motherboard from the front display assembly.
  • Carefully remove the motherboard using your hands.

Using a spudger, gently lift up the motherboard from the front display assembly.

Carefully remove the motherboard using your hands.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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Author

                                      with 5 other contributors 


                    Kaitlyn Jones

Member since: 01/27/2013

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                                            8 Guides authored

Robin Munkittrick - Apr 5, 2013

Reply

This manual doesn’t mention to take out volume and Power Buttons and removing the lower PCB with the USB port and LED!

I would edit but unfortunately I didnt take any pics

tim bergel - Oct 12, 2017

Reply

As Robin says, this misses out a few bits that are needed if you are trying to replace the screen and digitiser - two buttons, lower usb assembly and also a very small, mysterious, soft rubber insert that goes at the top and no doubt does something vital. Sorry also no pictures but none of these are exceptionally tricky - though the usb assembly needs gentle handling and patience. It took me a lot longer than the guide suggested but thanks to those clear instructions it all got done … and now my faithful old phone works again! Thanks a million!

anthony_joypaul2222 - Jan 24, 2020

Reply

My Nexus 4 Battery socket on the Motherboard has blown off.

How do i retrieve the Data from my phone. Please help me !!!

Heinrich Schmidt - Dec 31, 2020

Reply

If you want to exchange just the MB there are some steps you can skip, i.e. step5 (removal of the battery), steps 7 & 8 (removal speaker), steps 10 & 11 (removal of the audio port, unplugging is sufficient) and step 15 (just unplug the antenna cable from the MB)